Buy ORB

Recommended By Curators

"A serviceable RTS with decent combat, still good graphics even today, and a pretty good story. It's nothing exceptional, but it's fun nonetheless."

About This Game

Millennia Ago, an empire spanning the galaxy collapsed after a long and brutal war.
In the Aldus system, two orphaned races slowly evolved on two separate planets. Both
races believed that they were unique and alone in the universe.

This game is best described as a worse version of Homeworld 1 (The original not remastered edition).

The main failing is the camera controls. Your camera is controled by mouse movement while holding a certian key down, but you can only go in 1 direction at a time. i.e. only up and down OR left and right OR forwards and back. This makes navigating the 3D environment VERY dificult.

The video isn't a proper trailer for this game!This game was my first space RTS and it's still one of my favorites. For all of you who dug Homeworld and even the combat of the modern SIns of a Solar Empire, this game is a gem. It's the only space RTS I've played that gives you a sense of just how LARGE space can be in maps like this. Because of this you have to commit to strategies, and can't adjust on the fly. This game forces you to develop a near perfect set of tactics for every single map, no joke. It's frustrating, very difficult, and immensly rewarding. The control scheme of this game is difficult at first, but it works as you get the hang of how to zoom around the map. This is a truly beautiful game as well, even though the graphics are dated, this game is highly atmospheric and really awesome to get lost in. A truly hardcore RTS, it will punish you, and every time you will come back stronger, ready to take advantage of a weakness you saw on your way out.

I owned this game on disc before re-purchasing it on Steam. It can be finicky at times, but ORB's take on 3D space combat is still fresh, interesting, and addictive even after more than 10 years. The campaign ramps up fast, so be prepared to spend hours trying to figure out the best strategy to complete a mission. (if you're anything like me, that should entice you!). This is the kind of game you can lose a night in.

Let's face it, there have only been a handful of 3D tactical space games released ever. If you're at all interested in the genre, you need this underrated game. $5 is an absolute steal.

I've played this game for a grand total of 87 minutes, and that was just the tutorial; but that's all it took to fascinate me with this game.

As a casual gamer with decent experience in RTS games, I didn't really know what to expect with this 12 year old game. But hey, at 75 cents, it had to have been a bargain (cheaper than a lot of items in TF2, anyway). Boy is that an understatement.

The graphics are, of course, dated, but not to the point of being an eyesore. The rest of the game though, is a sight to behold. I don't even know how to begin to describe how complex and detailed this game is. The basic Skirmish mode, where you can quickly set up a battle, allows for an insane amount of customization. In fact, now that I think about it, everything does.

Since it would take way too long for me describe how awesome this game is, I'm just going to say that if you don't pick this game up before the end of the sale (by May 20th), you're crazy. Heck, I'd probably buy it at the full price of $4.99 now that I know how neat-o it is.

I have to wonder, though. Why is this 12 year old game more interesting and strategy-based than anything I've played recently?